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The time for Halloween may have passed, but the vibe hangs in the air throughout November. At turns spooky, scary, secret, salacious and sexy, it’s coexisting now with eruptions of long-building passion and life force.

The mixture is paradoxical, like volcanoes arising from ocean depths. It’s also energizing, activating and unstoppable. Things that go bump in the night — or the psyche — are still on the prowl, but they’re not knocking us off course. Instead, signs and sensations of progress are accelerating, with milestones falling into place as we blaze on.

Buds are blossoming. Critters are stirring. What’s coming into being for you? That’s the focus and the growth potential of the Taurus New Moon.

This Moon, in the first, most primal earth sign of the zodiac, invites attention to the physical circumstances of your life. A thought or a look is not enough. It’s time to cultivate, immerse, experience, enjoy, touch, taste and savor — and set up the conditions that will bring you more.

A newly honed awareness is at work of what it is you actually want. Have you noticed that your preferences aren’t what they were? That certain foods or activities have lost their appeal, while others have to come to the fore? That your sense of your own worth has shifted into something more … worthy?

All that and more have become clearer over the past month-plus as the Taurus Moon’s ruler, Venus, sprinkled your path, social media, thoughts and likely dreams with memories, teachable moments and realizations; with trinkets, fool’s gold and recognition of nuggets you already possess.

Go easy on intangibles and far-off, maybe-someday bucket list items, if you use this lunation to make wishes or set intentions. (Though this New Moon does offer a portal to inspiration, magic and miracles, via a wide applying sextile to Neptune — you just have to not only be open to them, but also actively reach for and grab any that show up.)

This New Moon is more suited to the here and now — emphasis on the here, with a bit of slack on the now.

Instant gratification isn’t part of the process, though grazing and nibbling are likely along the way. Any Taurus Moon is a leisurely affair. This one sees ruler Venus in no rush at all.

The goddess of love, money and earthly delights is making a slow getaway from her six week retrograde (the occasion for the above-mentioned sprinkling). She’s floating at the end of Pisces, in the last degrees of the zodiac, and still quivering from recent exact links to Chiron, keeper of abiding wounds, and Saturn, ruler of order, time and adulting.

As she moseys out of Pisces for most of the rest of the month, she’ll continue having words with Saturn, who will say “no” and “not yet” and, when we orient ourselves sufficiently responsibly, “yes.” Watch for the carousel of emotions that colored Easter/Passover weekend — weepiness, weariness, acceptance, relief, resolution, balm and back to vague sorrow — to cycle back through and tenderize the ground we’re cultivating.

Watered by emotions, with slow and steady nurturing, the plantings of this New Moon have the potential to grow into tangible support and satisfaction. It has an air of fatedness, of supposed-to-be, with the New Moon making a wide trine to the Virgo North Node of destiny. That contact is a benediction of sorts for the 18-month journey through Virgo the node is wrapping up, and the coming flourishing is what we’ve been working toward.

And some of that could end up feeling like heaven on earth. With Venus in the waters of higher love, and their ruler Neptune offering assistance, divine or ecstatic experiences are certainly possible down here on terra firm.

That may take the form of a thunderclap moment (finding God in a sunset, say, or freshly picked berries). It might also pervade and elevate modest, ordinary aspects of life. You can invite that in, actually, if you consciously view matter as spiritual energy that has come down to this plane and taken on physical form. Even money and resources. Especially money and resources.

Which goes for your body as well. Treat it as your temple and by all means, stay in it. It’s the vehicle for exploring and experiencing the growth coming from the Taurus New Moon. As they used to say, “Here is where it’s at.”

This year’s Leo Full Moon has the subtlety of a powder keg igniting. It’s a pile-up of combustible influences that stoke the year’s theme of self-actualization. And like a powder keg’s igniting, it’s blowing some situations to smithereens — and blasting us further into this wild new phase.

Like any full moon, it’s bringing emotional outpourings to a head. They’re especially larger than life now, for multiple reasons.

One is the moon’s sign, Leo, which has a bent for drama and grabbing the spotlight. Feeling sufficiently seen, acknowledged and validated is a hot topic now. Some people are going to attack any perceived shortfall with attention-grabbing antics. Others, channeling the proud and regal possibilities of Leo, will respond by walking away from devaluing situations, with head held high.

Another reason for the larger than life emotions is this full moon’s nature as lunar eclipse, which escalates the looney factor exponentially. Lunar eclipse emotions aren’t merely aggrandized; they’re forceful, overwhelming and enormously informative (and so are the revelations that accompany them). What is seen cannot be unseen. Life will never be quite the same again.

This month’s full moon launches a two-year cycle of eclipses on the Leo/Aquarius axis, which has us revisiting and resetting the challenge of shining as individuals while coexisting within a group. A defining question is: Who is your tribe? Here’s another: Where is your stage?

Watch for related themes, situations and even people to come back (perhaps only in your thoughts) from the summers of 1998 through 2000, the last time we underwent this eclipse cycle.
We are profoundly different now, though, so our responses to this cycle’s issues and triggers will be markedly different than they were some 19 years ago. Since then we’ve refocused our priorities, gained acute self-awareness and shed most inclination to contort ourselves to make a relationship “work.”

The first returns are coming this week, and continue as the eclipse unrolls over the next six months. Who sees your light? Who fuels it? Who doesn’t? There’s no point in running after anyone who leaves, or who fails to see you. Nor in continuing if you’re dancing your heart out in front of people who aren’t aware you’re in the room. Realizations are flipping internal switches in an instant, and permanently.

But wait! There’s still more reason for the extraordinary uproar: The Sun and the Moon are locking into the controlled firepower of the Saturn/Uranus trine, which ignited in December and fuels us for most of this year. Even if that trine did not activate anything in your chart (and in your heart), this Full Moon makes the potential immediate and personal.

Impulses are erupting from within, maybe from anger, maybe from passion, maybe from a raw life force that you can’t entirely define. You have got to have freedom to express yourself. Whether you’re seeing yet where you’re going, you are seeing what you’re leaving.

You have every incentive to get a move on. Action hero Mars, ruler of our drive and ambition, is ultimately in charge of this eclipse. (Here’s how: the Moon in Leo answers to the Sun, which is in Aquarius and answers to Uranus, which is in Aries and therefore answers to Mars, which is in his home base of Aries.)

Mars doesn’t wait for permission, or for premeditated thought. A hot head and a risk taker, he simply acts. And that’s what we’re all doing.

The leaps and lunges, comings and goings, switches flipping and all the rest of the commotion stand to benefit us greatly. Bountiful Jupiter, bestower of optimism and expansiveness, is making helpful links to both the Sun and the Moon. Those contacts could further balloon some of this eclipse’s dramas to cartoonish proportions, but they could just as easily cushion the impact, or help us see why they’re ultimately good for us.

Many of them are. Revelations, partings of the way and split-second emotional decisions all carry profound healing potential. The Moon and Jupiter are making a yod, or Finger of God, that points directly to Chiron in Pisces, embodiment of our abiding, collective wound. We are being called to address, even immerse ourselves into, interconnectedness.

The concept is seemingly incompatible with this moon mission. Tap into the elevated perspective of the Aquarius Sun and think of it this way: On a micro level, it’s time to separate from the herd and venture forth in mutually appreciative networks. On a macro level, though, we’re in this together, various herds and all.

An umbrella won’t do you any good. A surfboard might not, either; these breakers have indomitable force. Running away is pointless, too.

This Full Moon is a lunar eclipse, escalating everything unfolds under it into larger-than-life proportions. What’s cresting is beyond mortal power. It will find you, no matter where you go.

Better to let the waters wash over (and out of) you. Better still to dive right in. The ride will be exhilarating, purgative, curative and, ultimately, a relief. And you’ll end up on dry land. Eventually.

You’ve been feeling the build-up to this, whether you recognized the signs for what they were. The month has been edgy, unsettling to the point of physical discomfort and motivating, inviting look after look at situations big and small that scream for improvement.

A lot of them, if you’re honest with yourself, have been hovering for some time. The skies have targeted them in a massive clean-up and resetting campaign, and we’ve reached the most intense, inescapable phase.

We’re in the next to last round of a cycle of eclipses on the Virgo/Pisces axis, which started in March 2015 and winds up next spring. They’ve had us ping-ponging between extremes of utterly earthbound, rational existence and utterly unhinging from the earthly.

That cycle kicked off with a Pisces New Moon at the last degree of the zodiac, so emotionally powerful that it sent people with a heavy chart emphasis in water to their beds. The current Full Moon is in the neighborhood, just a few degrees away. Instead of knocking us on our backs, though, this month’s is propelling us to action — and communication.

This lunar eclipse is in complex astrological company, which is transitioning us from a dying way of being in the world to the way that will be the new normal. This Full Moon is an ideal follow-up to the Virgo triple-whammy that launched that process: the solar eclipse on the 1st, with Mercury retrograding in late Virgo and Jupiter ending a year-long trip through the sign.

After the clean-up and reorganizational spree that line-up unleashed, what better final touch than power washing our lives with an emotional blast or two? It’s like spraying suds and debris off a deck after scrubbing it down. Only a little messier. The power wash is showing situations in a way we haven’t quite perceived until now.

This Full Moon is teeming with revelations, exponentially more so than most lunar eclipses (which are generally off the charts in this department). Thank a shift in the machinations of the cosmic fog machine. It’s been on overdrive since late last year, the byproduct of a protracted clash between Saturn, lord of form, and Neptune, lord of all that defies form (and ruler of the Pisces Moon).

Their conflict is behind the vagueness, weirdness and confounding, credulity-defying statements and behaviors that have enveloped us since late last year. The two planets squared off for the last time on the 10th and are slowing backing away from battle.

As the fog evaporates, backstories are emerging; masks are dropping; lies and conceits are being revealed; explanations for all manner of mysteries are tumbling forth.

And as we see more and more what has been going on in front of us, or behind our backs, or in the fog, the lid is flying off emotions. Ignored, buried or denied ones are pouring out with an especially uncontrollable, physically uncomfortable power.

The combo — reality-tilting revelations plus tsunami-force emotions — is motivating us to Do Something.

So is Mars, god of war and ruler of the masculine and our drive and energy. The Sun and the Moon are squeezing him in a dynamic configuration called a t-square. The pressure demands action, so not only ia the lunar eclipse coaxing out emotions and revelations like crazy, but we are acting and reacting. Maybe like crazy, maybe not.

Since Mars is in Sagittarius, the resulting action is spontaneous and high-energy. It may have an element of putting beliefs in motion, perhaps forcefully or with a touch of anger. It may also have a premeditated streak, even with notes of maturity and commitment, reflecting the marching orders that Mars received from order-loving Saturn at the end of August.

Then again, it might be daring to the point of recklessness. Mars is in a direct easy flow to Uranus, agent of radical change, in leap-first, look-later Aries. Fired up by this pair, emotional expression promises to be bold, abrupt and risky, revealing personal truth and letting chips fall where they may.

Whatever we feel, whatever we realize, whatever we express, we are not keeping it to ourselves. The pressure has Mars shooting arrows across the zodiac into Gemini, aka Cosmic Communication Central. We’re broadcasting the effects of this eclipse far and wide, face to face and across social media. (Invoke that Saturnian caution and remind yourself: anything you post online becomes part of your permanent record.)

The playing out is loud, messy, at times overwhelming and ultimately cathartic. Chapters are ending. Doors are slamming and bolting behind us. Many situations will never be the same, and neither will we.

Good thing, too. The waters pouring forth have profound therapeutic properties, with wounded healer Chiron traveling close by the Moon. His presence acts as a cosmic solvent, washing away the illusion of isolation as well as tendencies to soak up, carry and drown in other people’s pains, burdens and sorrows.

The mind can’t stop it. It can’t even overanalyze effectively, at this point. Chiron is opposing Mercury, ruler of the mind and the Virgo Sun. The positioning is putting the whammy on Mercury, overpowering the mind and permeating thoughts, words and messages with compassion, forgiveness and healing on all levels.

Fight it, block it, or dive into it. We will ultimately feel tremendously better, as the eclipse’s effects unroll over the next six months. First signs of relief may well show up as September ends and fades into October.

So take a deep breath. You can’t hold back, much less stop, whatever’s coming. Face it. The skies are providing plenty of courage and fuel; dive straight in. The ride will be wild; it’s true. But the process will be gentler in the long run.

Every full moon cliche is coming out with this month’s Scorpio Full Moon: Over-the-top emotional outpourings. Reality TV spilling over into real life. Emergency rooms beyond capacity. Long-simmering pots boiling over with primal impulses, obsessions and toxic waste. Instant clarity, if not karma.

It’s a howl-worthy moon, bringing out the werewolf in each of us. You’d think it was Halloween, so thin is the veil between the worlds, not to mention between sanity and utter lunacy. Hold on to that parallel. Halloween’s a time to live with, play with and take charge of things that scare us, and this Full Moon offers that gift as well.

Intense, dark and potentially scary are the province of any Scorpio Full Moon, but this one is extreme. It coincides with a cosmic drill boring deeper and deeper into situations, into patterns and into our very beings. Resistance is futile; we have no option but to submit.

The two forces behind the drill are this Moon’s modern and traditional rulers, Pluto and Mars. both of which have just gone retrograde. They embody will and aggression, mere mortal level and higher level, and their drive to achieve and acquire and survive is spinning in place under this Moon, before each of them moves backward over territory we have already covered.

What they’re triggering has been building for years. (Pluto’s hitting a sore point that’s been getting a pounding for four years or more.) We are all too aware of some of what’s surfacing, and are ready to let it. Almost to the point of desperation. Even let it go. The gods of war and death are not merely making purging and release possible, but are also packaging that option as appealing and desirable (which might inspire the occasional outcry of “Make it quit!”)

This Moon is also summoning a cosmic zombie invasion, as matters we thought were dead and buried are now rising up, standing in our way and, in some cases, coming after us. Tricks of perception are in the mix as well — your worst fear materializing in front of you, then turning out to be a weirdly shaped stain or a pile of leaves when the light goes on.

All this comes with spaciness. (Anyone else losing track of objects, not to mention their mind?) And details bordering on the surreal. (Sex toys, sex practices and a candidate’s nude portrait showing up in political discourse? How so very Scorpionic.) And potential for profound, nigh on magical healing.

Credit for this goes to the unimpeded flow between Pluto in structure-loving Capricorn and Chiron in all-encompassing Pisces. Chiron was an immortal who became human to be able to die and gain relief from a wound that would not heal. He embodies both an abiding wound and coming to peace with it by accepting and mastering physicality. The link between Pluto and Chiron has been in place for months, and Pluto’s turn-around is making the waters swirl a bit just now, creating currents for particles that have been lurking below to emerge.

As they bob to the surface, a clean-up crew is in place. Jupiter in Virgo, himself retrograde for weeks now, is at the ready to turn his fix-it tear to Pluto’s ends. This offer is the silver lining in any darkness summoned by this Moon. (So is the healing link to Chiron.) Grab it. Work it. Ask for help; take a baby step; dive into whatever yawning crevice has deepened before you. The opportunity aspect between Jupiter and Pluto makes transformation and renewal possible with ease and efficiency — and results that border on miracles.

Go beyond appearances. This Moon holds the power to move beyond treating symptoms to addressing their causes. This factors instinctive, persistent reactions and patterns into the clean-up. Thinking and attitudes play a huge role as well.

Not everything that comes up now will be life and death, or high-level drama, or the stuff of a B horror film, or even particularly terrifying or painful. Some of it involves evaluating return on investment and rectifying accounts, emotional and energetic as well as financial. Don’t discount the seemingly trivial. It carries a potential for clearing, releasing and healing, whether anyone’s screaming or crying or writhing in agony or not.

In some way, every incident entails an evolve-or-die moment. Every emotion, every outburst, every loss of conscious control comes with the invitation to deal with longstanding matters once and for all. Clean the closet. Take out the garbage. Dump the baggage.

So what if you’ve done this before? Another round of cleaning is in order now. This Moon has the tools and the motivation to go deeper, more effectively and more efficiently. Don’t take the process so seriously, either. Dress up. Have fun. Laugh at the over-the-top developments, at the absurd intensity and, most of all, at yourself. Let your inner werewolf out and howl.

Backtracking. Eruptions from the depths. Evolve-or-die moments of the heart (and the bank account). Howling-level full moon, complete with healing crises. You know, another garden variety week. Don’t panic. As Joni reminds us, laughing and crying, it’s all the same release.

Possession is a theme of October’s Taurus Full Moon. The Moon is lighting up what we possess — money, talents resources — here and now in this earthly existence, and especially how we feel about all of it. The theme has another side, though: How and by what are we ourselves possessed?

Indicators of both ends of this spectrum have been flying the past week or two. They have teemed with significant milestones involving matters close to our hearts and bank accounts. Some situations have taken on firmer contours or solidified; others have felt the swift and irreversible whack of a machete. These milestones are key as the landscapes of our lives morph into foundations and structures that replace the chaos of the past three years.

The Taurus Full Moon shows the real-world ramifications of and our very real-world, tangible, physical emotional reactions to what is now taking shape in our lives. Taurus is the “Show Me the Money!” moon, with no taste for the theoretical or impractical. It may have the same ruler as Libra, but unlike that intellectual, word-oriented sign, Taurus takes a simpler, more direct approach to all things Venus (desire, love, money, beauty, creativity and our precious possessions). Instead of running them (and indeed all of existence) through the mind, Taurus experiences them through the body, physically, worldly, sensually. Because the Taurus Full Moon includes Scorpio in this picture, our current responses are instinctual, primal, cellular and tenacious to an extreme.

This Moon spotlights the condition of our toys, our attachment to them, protection of them and, in some cases, ownership by them. Think about what you own. Do you actually use it? Do you enjoy or consume it? Are you burdened by it? Does any of it own you? The Moon also raises questions of nurturance, trust, reliability and dependability. What is nourishing you right now? What is making you feel safe and secure? What (and who) do you love? What (and who) do you value? Who do you trust to come through for you? Do you feel that anything of yours (possessions, job, money, value) is under attack? That someone is trying to take something away from you?

These questions come from the hosts of this Full Moon, the two rulers of desire and money, Venus and Pluto. They have been teaming in the past two weeks to foster those significant milestones. A few other links have been complicating the emotions surging now. Venus is Lucky Pierette between Jupiter (planet of optimism and expansion) and Mars (ruler of our drive and motivation), which is contributing an exaggerated push and even combativeness to behavior and reactions. Venus is also pulling vast emotional wounds to consciousness, through a direct link to Chiron. This combination holds the potential for profound healing and incremental movement on long-standing desires, but it is simultaneously provoking instinctive and non-rational responses.

Watch for the psychological beasties on the rise. Some have been exposed and are simply running amok. Some are reacting to perceived threats to possessions and whipping up insecurities, territorialism, targeting, backbiting, backstabbing, conniving and outright skullduggery. People with the calendar age of adults have been acting like the self-appointed cool kids in junior high, protecting what they perceive to be their turf and entitlement, and attacking those they see as lesser beings (which is to say, threats). The difference between now and junior high is the stakes, which are much, much higher than pushing someone to tears or the counselor’s office. Some of these attacks have the intent and perhaps effect of harming-to-destroying the target’s career, reputation and finances. Recognizing the terror and panic behind this behavior may help you deal with it, if it’s in your life or environment. You are witnessing a form of possession, by demons in their psyches. Strive to view these individuals with compassion — and move anything you care deeply about out of their way.

Spend your energy instead on your own physical reality. Consider the questions inspired by Venus and Pluto. Check with your heart, your gut, your very cells. Look at what has taken shape in your life recently. Put aside your wishes of what might be coming or growing. Ignore promises, or hopes, or the dreams you spin from crumbs someone tosses your way. Look instead at the actual, tangible developments you can taste, touch and embrace. How do they feel? How do they make you feel? What makes you ask, “More, please?” Ask. Then go for it.